Wonderful Duck

I love having friends over for a meal as it gives you an opportunity to cook something different and special. I always used to try out completely new recipes on such occassions, though this can lead to less than wonderful results. Still interesting though!

This recipe is tried and tested, (as all the ones I put on this blog are). I am going to cook it for friends this weekend. It came from my brother-in law, so thank you E.  The cheffy way to cook duck is to have it rare, usually a breast, so it is a bit like a dark steak. But whole, roasted to crispness, is how we love it. This has delicious, and christmassy, flavours to complement the meat.

Wonderful Duck - for 4

2kg duck
4 large handfuls fresh breadcumbs
Thumbsized piece of fresh ginger
1 tbs five spice powder
1 cooking apple
2 eggs lightly beaten
6 heaped tbs marmalade
6 star anise
3 clementines

1. Pour boiling water over the duck in the sink.
2. Pat it dry.
3. Grate the ginger and add it to the breadcrumbs with the grated apple, skin on, and the five spice powder.
4. Season this mixture then stir in the eggs and half the marmalade.
5. Use this to stuff the duck.
6. Put it in a tin, season the surface with salt and add the star anise around.
7. Roast for 60 minutes at No 6/200, then pour off the fat.
8. Pour in about half a tea cup water. Spread rest of marmalade over the skin. Put halved clementines around, cut side up.
9. Cook another 40 minutes approx. Check the cooking time given but in total you need about 100 minutes.
10. Rest the duck 10 mins or so and then serve cut into joints, with fresh clementines as garnish.
11. Squash the cooked fruit into the tin and make a thin gravy with a little water and perhaps some wine. Sieve it if you like.

All you need to go with it are some roast potatoes and a green salad (with watercress is best)